The invention relates to a connection element for an outer end piece of a surgical electrode as well as to uses of connection elements of this kind.
A surgical electrode, which is also called a heart wire, is known from the European Patent Specification EP 0 159 540. The heart wire is used after a heart operation for the temporary monitoring and stimulation of the heart activity. It forms an insulated electrical connection between two uninsulated ends. The one end is anchored in the heart muscle. The other end--the outer end piece--is located outside the thorax, where it can be connected to an external pacemaker or ECG monitor.
When using unipolar electrodes only one heart wire is required in each case. As a rule, two unipolar electrodes are used, the one for the auricular region of the heart and the other for the ventricular region. An indifferent or neutral electrode which is arranged on the body of the patient is associated with each unipolar electrode. When long electrodes are used--up to the connection at the named equipment--the outer parts of the wires are wound up and secured to the abdomen of the patient with tape without any special measures being taken. If the electrodes are short (60 cm), extension cables must be used for the external stimulation, since the stimulator and the ECG monitor are not located on the patient but rather at a certain distance in the vicinity of the bed. A tangle of cables often results, which can lead to a confusion of the cables.